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Be of Good Cheer

I get the feeling some people won’t be satisfied until I’ve plumbed the deepest, darkest depths of hunter/trapper depravity. I’ve had people ask me to write blog posts on issues as nauseating to cover as Wyoming’s new bounty on coyotes, and the glib manner in which some Wyomingites brag about cutting off coyotes ears in the parking lot of the “Sportsmen’s” Warehouse to claim their $20.00 bounty (following the same ugly tradition of their forbearers who claimed cash at the fort for Indian scalps); incidents as horrible as the black bear (pictured here) who got caught in a trap that some sick, twisted asshole set for pine marten; or report on how poachers are killing off the last of the world’s big cats; or go into how vacuous bowhunters sound when they praise one another for impaling animals for sport, or the malevolent tone used by wolf hunters or trappers when they get away with murdering beings far superior to them in every way.

The problem is, whenever I go there I get so irate I could end up saying something like, “They should all be lined up and shot, their bodies stacked like cordwood and set ablaze to rid the world of every last speck of their psychopathic evil once and for all.”

Well I’m not going to do that…at least not during the holiday season…

December should be a time for being of good cheer and spreading hopeful news, such as the pleasantly surprising announcement that, thanks to a lawsuit filed by Footloose Montana, along with several other litigants, the state of Montana put on hold its annual trapping season on wolverine this year, just 24 hours before that particular brand of butchery was set to begin! Of course, nearly every other “fur-bearing” animal in the state—from beavers and muskrats, to marten, fisher and mink; from otters and bobcat, to wolves, foxes and coyotes—is fair game for any sick fuck who feels the sadistic urge to set out a trapline in the wilderness…or just out of town.

But at least the wolverines—critically endangered from years of falling prey to a “celebrated” historic tradition, now down to only 35 successfully breeding individuals in the western United States—are illegal to trap right now.

Hallelujah! Thank goodness there’s some happy news to share with you this time of year!

My heart broke in two when I first saw the pic of that black bear with the trap on his foot. I can’t even begin to imagine how much he must have suffered. At least he’s not suffering anymore. For those who are interested in knowing more, here’s the link to the original pic:

Can we even imagine that WITHOUT a lawsuit, they were going to ALLOW a TRAPPING SEASON … for 35 wolverines?!? I am stunned. Now I know it: They think we are stupid, don’t they? Really?
Mad enough to say the F – word, but in keeping with the season, as Jim mentions, I’ll just say Fa-la-la-la-la and celebrate the small victory.
(Thank goodness for the various organizations who are stepping up to the plate for wildlife. If lawsuits are the only way to make them stop and squirm … and spend all their precious hunter/trapper license fee money on litigation … so be it. Hope it keeps up so maybe they’ll see get enlightenment).

Every so often I get so saddened and frustrated (photo of cub caught in trap) that I just want to give up sharing environmental issues that I believe are important to the health of our planet. Hunting is horrible, plain and simple. Also, rarely necessary. But what about the miilions of animals that go through the slaughter houses annually? Their lives are more often than not, hell from start to finish. The majority of those responsible, consumers who purchase meat at their local markets, claim to love animals. These victims are sentient beings. They too think and feel….

I get so irate I could end up saying something like, “They should all be lined up and shot, their bodies stacked like cordwood and set ablaze to rid the world of every last speck of their psychopathic evil once and for all.”

You are the best Jim, thanks for all you do. I am definitely not religious; religion has proven to be another nightmare for the nonhuman animals, so metaphorically speaking, you represent the alleged sentiment behind the” holidays”. Thanks again to you,and to everyone else out there who cares about and for the truly innocent: the furred, feathered, winged, shelled, and scaled creatures on this planet.(hope I didn’t miss any!)